


Songs of the Heart

by holdyourbreathfornow



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders
Genre: Coco AU, Gen, Implied Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-04-30 19:50:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14504265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdyourbreathfornow/pseuds/holdyourbreathfornow
Summary: “It’s been so long since I’ve been home...”“I can take you there.”Or the Sanders Sides Coco AU that I thought of out of nowhere.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a celebration of 75 followers on Tumblr! Thank you for reading!

_ “Where’d he go?” _

 

__ _ “I can’t see him.  Where do you think-?” _

 

__ _ “He will return when he decides to.  We must trust him to care for himself.” _

 

__ _ “He’ll be back.” _

 

__ _ “I hope you’re right…” _

 

__ -

 

Thomas Sanders is five years, four months, and three days old when he wakes up the week before  _ Dia de los Muertos _ .  His uncle Patton is in the kitchen making sugar skulls that will have to cool until the holiday, and Thomas walks into the dining room to see Uncle Roman cutting  _ papel picado _ at the table while Uncle Logan sips coffee.  Uncle Logan glances up when he hears the soft padding of Thomas’ slippered feet and twitches his lips in his good-morning smile.

 

“Is that tiny feet I hear?”  Uncle Patton sweeps in from the kitchen, flour in his hair and a smile on his face.  He scoops Thomas up and tickles under his ribs, causing the boy to shriek with laughter.  “Good morning, kiddo! How did you sleep?”

 

“Good.”  Patton sets Thomas down and he scurries over to crawl into Roman’s lap.  “Will you take me to the graveyard tonight, Uncle Roman?”

 

“Well, we usually don’t visit until Day of the Dead, Thomas.  Why do you want to go early?”

 

“I want to see some of the others, too.  Not just-”

 

“Maybe we should make this an educational outing.”  Logan interrupts, folding his newspaper and pushing it aside.  “Introduce him to some of our ancestors and the like.”

 

“Well, I have to help set the plaza up so I can’t go, but if you two take him, be sure to be back before sundown for dinner.”

 

“What, you don’t want us to take Thomas out on the town?”  Roman laughs and Patton rolls his eyes fondly, coming over to drop a kiss in Thomas’ hair.  

 

“Please don’t.  And be careful?”  No one’s laughing at that, instead Logan and Roman both give Patton solemn nods before they sit down to breakfast together.

 

-

 

The graveyard is pretty, or at least Thomas thinks so.  His friend Leo always thinks it’s kind of creepy, but he likes the quiet peacefulness.  

 

Roman scoops Thomas onto his shoulders and the three begin carving their way through the tombstones and occasional mausoleums.  Finally, they come to one situated with a view through a forest clearing, the sun dying everything a beautiful gold in the autumn.  The tombstone, once Logan has carefully brushed all fallen leaves from its base, reads ‘Virgil Sanders. Beloved brother.’

 

“Say hello to Uncle Virgil, Thomas.”  Roman sets Thomas on the ground and nudges him to take a step forward.  Thomas plops down to sit on the grass and reaches out, tracing the carved letters with his fingertip. 

 

“Hi, Uncle Virge.  It isn’t Day of the Dead yet, but I wanted to come say hi early.  Uncle Pat had a meeting so he couldn’t come.”

 

“He’s sorry about that, by the way.”  Logan takes over Thomas’ spiel, pulling a juicebox out like magic and giving it to Thomas, who instantly giggles happily.  “Thomas is doing well in school. He and his friend Leo are going to the pool for Leo’s birthday next month. The entiret of my class passed their final exams and I’m very proud.  I was teaching them Edgar Allen Poe, your-” Logan cuts off and clears his throat sharply, causing Roman to lean over and tug him into a hug. “Your favorite.”

 

“My turn!”  Roman pipes up happily but he keeps Logan pulled into his side as Logan reaches out and pulls Thomas into his lap.  “We’re doing a production of the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty and I have been cast as Prince Charming, which is exciting.  I remember one time, you and I spent hours debating the dark sides of every Disney movie. I wish we could still do that.” Thomas squirms his hand out of Logan’s hug and reaches up to place it on Roman’s cheek.  His uncle smiles at Thomas through teary eyes and Logan kisses Thomas on the head. “We’re okay, Tommy. We just miss him.”

 

“How old was I when he died?”  Thomas asks and Logan stares at the death date on Virgil’s grave, obviously calculating the answer.

 

“Oh, you would’ve been about four?  That was when your dad was still here, so you weren’t with us.”

 

“Daniel was never Thomas’ father.”  Roman interrupts sharply and Thomas squeezes in between the two of them.  “He was a snake, Logan, he didn’t deserve Thomas.”

 

“I know, Roman.  But Thomas lives with us now and you’re happy, aren’t you, dear?”  Logan smiles when Thomas nods and raises an eyebrow at Roman. “See?”

 

“I suppose I over-reacted.”  Roman admits quietly and his gaze flicks to Virgil’s name.  “Coming here always makes me emotional.”

 

“That’s okay, Roman.”  Logan gets to his feet and scoops Thomas up.  “It’s perfectly alright to miss him, but you know he would want us to be happy, no matter how angry we all were.”

 

“Why were you angry?”  Thomas squeaks and Logan shakes his head.

 

“Thomas, you are a very mature little boy, but that is a story that I will wait to tell you until you are older and when Roman and I aren’t so sad.”

 

“Maybe Uncle Pat can make us cookies!  That always cheers me up!”

 

“I believe that that is an excellent idea.”  Roman heaves himself to his feet and blows a kiss to Virgil’s headstone before the three of them walk out of the cemetary.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the love on the first chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Day of the Dead is loud, colorful, and tiring, just like it is every year.  And it’s not even night time yet.

 

Thomas tugs Leo along by his large hand, the two of them running ahead of their respective families.  Patton is walking with Leo’s mom, while Roman, Logan, and Leo’s dad are bringing the picnic stuff from the cars.

 

“Did ya bring your flowers?”  Leo asks Thomas and the little boy freezes, his eyes widening in realization.

 

“Oh no, I forgot them at home!  Uncle Virgil won’t have any flowers!”

 

“It’s okay.”  Leo consoles his friend and looks around wildly, eyes landing on a bundle of flowers lying haphazardly at the base of a tree.  “Look, someone dropped their flowers! You can use those! I’ll go distract the adults, you go grab those flowers, okay?”

 

“Thanks, Leo.”  Thomas sniffs and watches Leo turn around and race down the path, before he darts forward and scoops the flowers from their position on the ground and runs for Uncle Virgil’s grave.  He sees some people glowing funny, but he’s pretty sure they’re the candle bearers from the monastery.

 

“Hi, Uncle Virgil!”  Thomas smiles at the headstone and sets the flowers gently at the base.  “It’s Day of the Dead and-”

 

“Boy!”  A voice interrupts Thomas and he looks up to see a man stalking towards him, face decorated with skull makeup.  “What are you doing, talking to your own grave?”

 

“No, this is my uncle, I’m not-”  The man gets close enough to tower over Thomas and as he looks up at the man, he realizes in some small corner of his brain that  _ that’s not makeup.  This man has a literal actual skull with no face.   _ “What’s wrong with your face?!”

 

“I’m dead.”  The man crouches in front of Thomas and stares at him.  “But you’re not, are you?”

 

“I’m alive!”  Thomas cries, pulling away from the man, whose expression softens and he drops to one knee bone, resting a hand on Thomas’ shoulder.  

 

“Oh, kid, it’s okay.  Listen, we’ll take you to the authorities and get this all sorted out and you can be back here in no time, alright?”

 

“I’m not dead…”  Thomas repeats, quieter this time, and the man nods.

 

“I know you’re not.  Now come on. What’s your name?”

 

“Thomas.”

 

“I’m Georgie.  C’mon, Thomas, let’s get you to the Land of the Dead.”

 

-

 

Georgie leads Thomas out of the cemetery, and Thomas sees his uncles calling for him.  He wrenches himself from Georgie’s gentle hold and runs for Uncle Patton, tears beginning to stream down his face.  But just as he goes to cling to Uncle Patton’s legs, suddenly his entire body feels very cold and small and he’s standing with his back to Patton, having just run right through him.  Thomas looks down at his hands and sees they’ve got the same golden glow the candle-bearers had and he realizes that Georgie isn’t playing a prank on him, he’s actually one of the spirits.

 

“Georgie…?”  The man holds his arms out and Thomas bursts into tears again, running and crawling into the man’s skeletal arms.

 

“It’ll be okay, Thomas.  I know how to fix it.”

 

The entrance of the cemetery doesn’t slope down a hill towards Main Street like Thomas knows it should, instead it spirals over a cliff that drops suddenly into a canyon filled with blue fog, the bottom hidden from view.  Over the canyon, there’s a bridge of marigold petals and Georgie sets Thomas down on the ground, holding his hand as Thomas gingerly steps on it. The petals bear his weight easily and Georgie steps up beside him, pulling him along past other families passing the other way.  

 

“This is the entrance to the Land of the Dead.”  Georgie tells Thomas solemnly and Thomas’ eyes widen in awe.  There’s a tiny booth, like the ticket booth at the theme park he visited last summer, but past that, there are buildings reaching so high up that Thomas has to lean back to see the tops, decorated with neon lights depicting grinning skulls and dancing skeletons and the like.  “We’re going to report you to the Office of Confused Souls and get this sorted out.”

 

“Am I going to be in trouble?”  Thomas asks and Georgie shakes his head with a smile.

 

“I don’t think you did anything worthy of getting in trouble.  You seem like a good kid, and if you’re friends with Leo…”

 

“You know Leo?”  Thomas gasps and Georgie booms with laughter.

 

“I sure do!  He’s my great-great-grandson!”  Georgie tells Thomas all about Leo’s family tree as the two wait in the admittance line, until they come to the officer’s window.  The officer is a smiling woman with dark hair pinned up under her hat. 

 

“Hello, Georgie!  Good visit?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”  Georgie dips his head before he lifts Thomas off of his feet and places him gently on the counter.  “But I do have something to present to the Office.”

 

“Oh, goodness, that is a live one!”  The woman smiles at Thomas and reaches under her desk, coming back up with a clipboard and pen.  “Hi, sugar! Bet you’re kinda confused, huh?” Thomas nods shyly and the woman laughs, reaching down yet again to hand Thomas a handful of candies.  “Don’t worry, kiddo, Georgie here will take you to the Office and we’ll find some family of yours and get you home, okay?” 

 

“Okay.”  Georgie retrieves Thomas from the counter and places him back on his shoulders and the woman laughs before she waves them through the turnstile.  “Georgie, what’s the Office for?”

 

“Well, a long time ago, a live one like you showed up and no one knew what to do, and there was a lot of freaking out.  So once we got that problem worked out, we decided that if any others like you and the original long ago showed up, we should have a way to help them, so we founded the Office, which is where you and I are going.”  Georgie shifts until he can lift one bony arm and points down the street to what looks like a police station, though it too is decorated in flamboyant colors. “Right there. Okay, Thomas, you doing good?”

 

“I’m ready to go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked, lemme know!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love on this story! I finally figured out where it’s going, so it should be done soon!

The woman at the reception desk coos over Thomas, gives him some sweet bread, and then tells Georgie that Joan’s still available.  Georgie nods and makes Thomas thank the lady for the sweet bread before they walk into a room filled with desks and chairs. Most of them are empty, probably having left for celebrating, except for a couple, including the one Georgie was walking towards.

The skeleton sitting behind the desk has a beanie pulled low over their head until it stops just above their eye sockets.  They lean over their desk, writing frantically, and Georgie stands quietly for a moment before he clears his throat. They look up and smile at Georgie.

 

“Hey, Georgie!  How was the Land of the Living?”

 

“Good, but I got myself a traveling buddy.”  Georgie points to Thomas, who waves shyly. Joan leans over their desk and smiles at Thomas.  

 

“Well, it certainly looks like you do.  And a live one too! Hey, kiddo, I’m Joan.”

 

“‘M Thomas.”  The boy murmurs shyly and Joan reaches out to shake his hand.

 

“Well, Thomas, Georgie and I are going to do everything we can to get you home, but I need you to tell me what happened, okay?”

 

“I was going to visit my Uncle Virgil’s grave for Day of the Dead.”  Thomas begins, after he receives a nod that it’s okay from Georgie, and Joan flips to a new page on their clipboard, writing as Thomas speaks.  “But I’d forgotten his flowers at home, so I was scared he’d be angry. My friend Leo saw some flowers sitting near a tree and we thought someone had dropped them.  Leo told me I could just give Uncle Virgil those flowers, so he distracted the adults while I went and put the flowers on Uncle Virgil’s grave. And then Georgie told me to stop talking to my own grave.”  Joan gives Georgie a confused look and Georgie just shrugs.

 

“The kid had the soul-glow, I thought he was dead.”  Nodding, Joan writes something else on their clipboard before they take the piece of paper off and hand it to another person with colorful blue and pink hair.

 

“Well, we’re gonna call your Uncle Virgil so he can come give you the blessing, okay?”  Thomas nods and Joan turns to Georgie again. “You can go celebrate if you want, man. Talyn and I can keep an eye on the kid.”  Georgie nods and kneels down next to Thomas. 

 

“It was fun meeting you, kid.  When you go home, will you do me a favor and tell Leo his Grandpa Georgie loves him?”

 

“Do you have to go?”  Thomas asks and Georgie nods, climbing to his feet and ruffling Thomas’ hair affectionately.  

 

“I have to go see my family.  They’re sitting at my grave and I want to see how much they’ve grown since last year.  And besides, aren’t you excited to meet your Uncle?” There’s a long pause as Thomas thinks about Georgie’s question, before he nods and smiles excitedly.  Georgie laughs. “That’s what I thought. Be good, kid,and maybe I’ll see you around.” And with that, Georgie leaves.

 

“Well!”  Joan claps their hands together, the bones clacking instead of the skin against skin sound Thomas is used to.  “While we wait for your uncle, I’ll explain to you how this works. Your uncle is going to imprint his blessing on a marigold leaf and give it to you.  The blessing will send you home and everything will be okay! Do you have any questions?”

 

“Can I have something to eat?”  Joan nods and slides a desk drawer open, pulling out a sugar skull and giving it to Thomas.  

 

-

 

Thomas stands at the window in the entry of the Office, staring out as skeletons walk past, laughing and glowing under the colorful lights.  One skeleton, walking alone with a jacket hood pulled over their head. They stand in front of the front door of the Office and stare at it, their shoulders rising and lowering as if they’re taking a deep breath, before they pull their hood down.

 

The man under the jacket has dark purple and gray patterns printed over his skin, making it appear as if there’s a thunderstorm brewing along his hairline.  The skeleton’s gaze never flickers to Thomas’ window, but he screws his face up in determination and steps inside. The receptionist greets him at the front and Thomas slips away from the window to peer through the entryway at the man.

 

“Your purpose for being here today?”  The receptionist asks and the man ducks a little more into his jacket.

 

“I’m here to collect a living relative of mine and help his return to the Land of the Living.”

 

“Oh!  You must be Virgil Sanders.  Thomas is just sucj a sweetheart, you must be so proud.”

 

“I wouldn’t know.  I can’t cross the bridge.”

 

“Oh, dear!  It sounds like we may need to make you your own appointment!”

 

“Don’t bother, I know the reason.”  Virgil’s eyes slide over the woman’s shoulder and meet Thomas’.  He grins and creaks onto one knee, his grin blending with a grimace of pain for a moment.  “Hi, Tommy. Look how big you’ve gotten, buddy!”

 

Suddenly, all the stress weighing on Thomas’ shoulders bursts out and he flies into Virgil’s chest, screwing his fists into the chest of Virgil’s coat as he sobs his heart out.  

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”  Virgil soothes, scooping Thomas into his arms and nodding to the woman.  “Is there a place we can sit?”

 

Once Virgil has been situated on a couch with Thomas in his lap, he uses the sleeve of his sweater to wipe Thomas’ tears away.

 

“I bet you’re pretty scared, huh, Tommy?”  Thomas nods and Virgil sighs as he hugs the boy a little closer.  “God, I’m sorry I was never there to see you. They never put my picture up on the  _ ofrenda,  _ and-”

 

“That’s not true!”  Thomas sniffs through his tears and stares at Virgil with wide eyes.  “I put your picture up myself! Uncle Patton gave me a boost cause I couldn’t reach!”

 

“But Daniel-”  Virgil cuts himself off with wide eyes and grips Thomas’ shoulders just tightly enough so he doesn’t hurt him.  “So they don’t hate me? They miss me?”

 

“Yeah!  Uncle Roman, Uncle Logan and I went to visit your grave early and they both cried!”

 

“Oh, that lying- Tommy, I have to go get angry at someone, do you want to come?”

 

“Okay.”  On their way out the door, Thomas waves bye to Joan, who gives him another two sugar skulls and nods to Virgil, who smiles, though his eyes are still burning with rage, and dips his head in reply.  “Where are we going, Uncle Virge?”

 

“To see a snake, Tommy, and make some things right.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for verbal abuse, mentions of death, and kidnapping. Be safe, lovelies!

“So tell me what all I’ve missed.”  Virgil asks Thomas, squeezing the young boy’s hand gently, and glances down.  Thomas is staring up at him, eyes shining with amazement and a wide smile spanning his face.  Virgil’s own eyes widen in embarrassment and confusion. “What, do I have something on me?”

 

“You look like Patton.”  Thomas whispers and Virgil laughs, mind conjuring an image of his oldest brother, all warm smiles, soft hugs, and trays full of new sweet treats that Virgil was always willing to try for him. 

 

“Oh, is that all?  Tommy, all four of us were identical.  When we were in school together, your Uncle Roman dyed his hair bright red so the other students would be able to tell him apart from the rest of us!  Then the other three of us went out and dyed our hair our own unique colors and everyone started confusing us again.” Virgil laughs and Thomas tugs lightly on his hand.

 

“Will you tell me more stories?”

 

“Munchkin, I’ll tell you so many stories you’ll get tired of listening to me talk.”

 

-

 

Virgil talks for ages as he and Thomas walk through the Land of the Dead, stopping at one point to buy themselves a snack.  He keeps talking until they walk into the slums of the Land of the Dead, then he shushes Thomas gently into silence and keeps him pulled close into his side.

 

“Where are we going?”  Thomas whispers and Virgil bends down, wincing as he lifts Thomas up and settles him on his hip.  

 

“We’re going home, Tommy.  Did your other uncles ever tell you anything about Daniel?”

 

“I’m not supposed to ask about him.”  Thomas grows nervous when he sees that Virgil is and he whimpers quietly, burrowing his face into Virgil’s neck and wrapping his hands into the side of Virgil’s coat.

 

“Daniel is a cruel man.  He died the same way I did, but the first Day of the Dead, he told me to let him go ahead and check up on things.  He came back, upset, and told me that my own brothers didn’t put my photo on the  _ ofrenda.   _ He said that they were happier with me gone, and that I shouldn’t have to suffer and see them laughing over my grave.”

 

“Why did you believe him?”  Thomas asks and Virgil sighs, his shoulders slumping as he stops in front of a run-down warehouse.

 

“I was still disoriented from… Dying.  Daniel offered to look out for me, claiming that he had gotten his feet under him quickly.  Now I realize he was using me to steady himself and that if he went down, he was going to take me with him.”

 

“So you finally figured out my evil scheme?”  A dry voice rattles and Virgil does his best not to startle, not wanting to jostle Thomas and upset the boy.  He turns to the door and sighs. Daniel stands in the doorway, pale and wan even being made of bones. He flickers golden and hisses quietly as he stumbles forward.  “My brother…”

 

“You lost the right to call me that three years ago.”  Virgil murmurs quietly, though his eyes are once again blazing with anger.  “When you killed me.”

 

“It was a car accident, Virgil.  I couldn’t control whether we lived or died.”

 

“You forced me into the car while you were drunk!”  Virgil roars, wrapping his arms tighter around Thomas and taking several steps away from Daniel, whose yellow eyes glow harshly under the street lamps.  “You’re done influencing my life, Daniel.”

 

“Not yet.  I won’t be the first to go.”  Daniel stumbles forward and Virgil thinks he can walk away, but just as he turns around to leave, Daniel shoots forward and grabs Virgil’s waist hard enough that the younger man wheezes in pain.  “You’ll be Forgotten first, and I’ll survive, damn it!”

 

“I’m not being Forgotten!”  Virgil shouts, tugging free of Daniel’s grip and running to the street, where marigolds still litter the ground.  He seizes a handful of petals and tucks Thomas’ face into what would be the flesh of his neck if he were alive, as the little boy lets out a whimper, being too scared to even scream.  “It’s okay, Tommy, you’re being so good.”

 

“You’re MINE!”  In a desperate burst of strength, Daniel wraps his bony hands around Virgil’s neck and drags him into the warehouse.  Virgil kicks but a sudden flash of gold and he’s weak, only able to keep Thomas hugged close and off the ground as the shadows devour the trio.

 

-

 

Thomas jolts back to awareness to the slamming of a cell door and he squirms slightly in Virgil’s grasp so he can peer over his uncle’s shoulder.  Daniel stares through the bars at Thomas and grins with yellowed teeth.

 

“Hello, my little boy.  Do you remember your father?”

 

“No, because you’re not him.”  Thomas says, wrinkling his nose and sticking his tongue out at his abductor.  Daniel growls and slams the door with his fist.

 

“I may not be your biological father, but-”

 

“You don’t deserve him.”  Virgil hisses, awake as well, and he readjusts himself so that Thomas is kneeling on the ground behind Virgil, clinging to his coat.  “I’m glad my brothers raised him, because you never should’ve looked at him. You never loved him, and I know for a fact my brothers did.”  Virgil reaches into the pocket of his jacket and grips the marigold petal tightly between two fingers. “I give Thomas my blessing to go home, tell our family I love them, and live a happy life knowing that there’s so many out there who love him so dearly.”  As Virgil withdraws the glowing marigold petal, Daniel screeches and bodily slams against the bars.

 

“NO!  He’s mine!”

 

“He never was.”  Virgil smiles at Thomas, who returns it even though there are tears dripping down his face, and hands the boy the marigold, watching as he vanishes in an eruption of golden light.  Then he turns and faces the dead man he once called ‘brother’. “And with his freedom, I’m free of you too.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm... This is the last chapter! This is actually my first finished story so I'm happy to present it to you! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the love. And know that I'll be back with another story... I always am! I love you!

Daniel screeches and rattles the bars of Virgil’s cell, but when he flashes gold and drops to the ground with a wheeze, Virgil smiles coldly down at him.

 

“Being Forgotten, you snake?  Good. Thomas is home. You can’t hurt him or my family anymore.”

 

“I can still hurt you.”  Daniel murmurs and reaches through the bars, but Virgil takes several steps back in retaliation.  “With my words. You were always so weak for my sweet talk, little brother.”

 

“Well, now I know who the weak one really is.  You, with your convoluted schemes and lies all spun like the spider’s web, but you’re the fly, the sticky truths that your lies are made of binding you down.  And me?” Virgil rests his foot on Daniel’s outstretched hand, the promise of pressure and pain lingering in the air between the two. “I’m the spider.”

 

-

 

“Is there any record of Thomas Sanders returning home?”  Joan asks, back at the Office, and their partner Talyn flips through a stack of papers.

 

“We got a report of the Glow from a warehouse in the slums, but no one’s gone in or come out since.  It’s also supposed to be the last-known residence of Daniel Sanders, and he’s wanted for several cases of identity fraud.”

 

“Oh, yeah, our old friend the Snake.  You think something’s up?”

 

“Well, if there is something weird going on, at least the kid’s safely out of the way.”  Joan sighs and gets to their feet, reaching for their badge.

 

“I guess that’s all we can really ask for, huh?”

 

-

 

“You’re being Forgotten, too.”  Daniel hisses up at Virgil, desperately trying to tug his hand out from under his brother’s foot and Virgil shakes his head.

 

“There’s something wrong with me, that’s true.  But it’s not the Forgetting.” Casually, as if he’s examining his nails, Virgil lifts one hand and stares at the gold racing over the bones like veins.  “Our brothers remember me, Thomas said so. Maybe it’s because I haven’t gone home since I died, but-” Virgil’s cut off by the sudden echo of a door being kicked open, and he grins down at Daniel, whose golden eyes have gone wide with fear.  “Day of the Dead isn’t over yet.”

 

“Freeze!”  Joan rushes towards the pair and slaps their hands onto Daniel, dragging him to his feet and cuffing him.  Rummaging in his pockets, they extract a single key and toss it to Talyn, who nods in thanks before unlocking the door.  Virgil rushes out and shakes Talyn’s hand.

 

“Thanks, officer.  Now I have to go see my family.”

 

-

 

The marigold bridge is almost intimidating from so close, and Virgil takes a deep breath.  He glances over his shoulder at Joan and Talyn, who’ve come to watch him cross.

 

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

 

“You wanna see your family?”  Joan waits for Virgil to nod, and they roll their eyes and point towards the Land of the Living.  “Then get going, moron!”

 

“Have fun!”  Talyn grins and Virgil nods again, more to himself this time as he takes a deep breath and steps onto the marigold bridge.  Suddenly, a wind kicks up and marigolds begin swirling around Virgil. He distantly hears Joan and Talyn whooping with glee before he closes his eyes, and blinks them open.

 

He’s no longer standing on the marigold bridge.  He’s lying in a bed in a room he doesn’t recognize.  Virgil tries to gasp in shock but begins gagging on a tube that had been shoved down his throat.  A monitor goes off somewhere above and behind his head and he reaches a hand out to the pair of nurses who come running in.  One stops in the doorway and stares at Virgil with wide eyes but the other gently pulls the tube free and helps Virgil sit up.

 

“How are you-”  The nurse who’d frozen in the doorway begins to ask, but he cuts himself off, shakes his head, and also goes forward.  “Sir, can you tell us your name?”

 

“Virgil… Sanders.”

 

“I told you the brain activity scan wasn’t wrong!”  The nurse who had helped Virgil sit up crows and rubs Virgil’s back gently.  “Alright, Mr. Sanders, what’s the last thing you remember?”

 

“Thought… I was dead.”

 

“No, sir, though you have been in a coma for three years now following a severe accident.  Mr. Sanders, I’m sorry to tell you this, but the person in the car with you was killed. Neither of you had identification, so we have you labeled as a John Doe.”

 

“I knew… He died.”  Virgil can’t speak quickly, throat still sore from prolonged exposure to the tube.  “Can I… Go home?”

 

“Soon, Mr. Sanders.  We’ll have to track down your family and let them know you’re alive.  Until then, let’s get you a glass of water.”

 

-

 

“You scared the he- heck out of us!”  Roman scolds Thomas as he carries the boy in his arms.  When Leo had come running to the three brothers, tears streaming as he told them he’d lost Thomas, Roman had no doubt in his mind all three of them flashed back to the night when Virgil had run off, and they had lost him forever.  

 

When Thomas had shown up hours later, tears running down his face and babbling about his Uncle Virgil, Patton had been the one to soothe the boy until he’d cried himself to sleep.  Thomas is awake now, however, and he’s staring over Roman’s shoulder at Virgil’s grave as Roman walks towards the others and away from the cemetery.

 

“He loves you.”  Thomas murmurs in reply to Roman’s scolding and Roman freezes, one foot still lifted off the ground as he processes what his nephew said.

 

“Repeat that, kiddo.”  Roman sets Thomas down on the dirt path and crouches in front of him.  Thomas sniffles, eyes still ringed red, and leans forward to kiss Roman’s cheek.

 

“Uncle Virgil said he was sorry and that he loves you.”

 

“Kiddo, Uncle Virgil’s dead.”  A hope Roman had been hiding fizzled and died when Thomas nodded in agreement.  

 

“I didn’t mean to, but I stole some flowers from a grave with no headstone, and I went to the Land of the Dead, and I saw Uncle Virgil and… The man I’m not supposed to talk about.”

 

“You saw Virgil?  He’s… Really dead?”  Roman asks and tears are leaking out of both his and Thomas’ eyes.  “Is he happy?”

 

“Yeah.  He was happy to send me home so I could tell you he loved you.”  Roman breathes in and out slowly and scoops Thomas up, beginning to jog to catch up to his brothers.

 

“Guys!  Thomas has something to tell us!”  He notices Patton shaking with sobs and Logan hugging him tightly.  “Guys? What’s going on?”

 

-

 

Virgil rolls his wheelchair back and forth as he waits in front of the elevator.  The doctor had checked him over and declared that other than severe muscle atrophy, Virgil was somehow awake and had no lasting brain damage.  They’d contacted his family and now Virgil is on his way down to meet them.

 

“You nervous?”  An old man clinging to an IV pole next to Virgil asks and the younger man nods shyly.  “Yeah… My wife is coming to visit me. I always get nervous when family visit, because I just want to go home with them and I don’t know how long it is until I can.  Hope you get to go home soon, sonny.” Instead of getting into the elevator with Virgil when it dings open, the old man smiles at Virgil and sets off at a shuffling pace down the hall.  As the elevator descends to the ground floor, Virgil’s torn between being curious about the old man and close to tears at the prospect of seeing his family after three years. God, little Tommy would be so confused when he saw Virgil alive.

 

The elevator dings open finally and Virgil rolls out to a crowded waiting room.  People mill about and normally Virgil would be tall enough to see over them, but for now he can only murmur ‘excuse me’ and ‘sorry’ as he maneuvers through them.  He makes a lap of the waiting room and his heart clenches painfully in his chest with anxiety when he doesn’t see them. He’s almost tempted to call the whole thing off and think maybe they don’t want to see him, when a very familiar little boy darts between two legs and flashes into Virgil’s lap, wrapping his tiny arms as far around Virgil’s waist as they’ll go.

 

“You were dead!”  Thomas pokes Virgil in the chest with one finger accusingly and Virgil laughs, already getting teary-eyed as he pulls Thomas close.

 

“I thought I was, munchkin.  I guess I got lucky, huh?”

 

“Yeah.”  Thomas weasels out of the hug and stares at Virgil’s face, eyes roaming over it slowly.  “You look like you.”

 

“I should hope so.”  Virgil almost laughs but then he glances up and it dies in his throat.  The crowd has parted, as if by magic, and he’s facing Patton, who’s stock still and staring at him, face pale as bone.  “Pat?”

 

“Virgil…”  And Patton’s walking towards him, then he’s running, and then Thomas squeaks in surprise (so does Virgil, shhh) when Patton wraps his arms around the two of them.  “Oh my god, you’re alive. You’re alive.” Patton repeats it as he keeps Virgil close and Virgil is absolutely unashamed to admit that that’s when he starts crying, reaching back up to curl his arms over Patton’s shoulders.

 

“I’m so sorry, Pat.  I just… I got so frustrated.  I was just going to get some air, I promise-”

 

“Don’t you dare apologize to me.  You’re alive! You could’ve killed a man and as long as you’re alive, I couldn’t care less.  You can come home, Virgil. A-as long as you want to.” Patton pulls back, almost hesitantly, and swipes under Virgil’s eyes with his thumbs, smiling through his own tears.  “You do want to come home, right?”

 

“Is that even a question?”  Virgil laughs, and suddenly Logan and Roman are there too, standing back as Patton and Virgil murmur together quietly, though Virgil can tell they’re both exercising self-restraint hard to not run to him and tackle him out of his wheelchair.  “Yeah.” Virgil glances to Thomas, who’s watching him from his lap, then back to Patton, who’s slid his glasses up to scrub at his own happy tears.

 

“I’m ready to go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE LIIIIIIIIIIIVED! :D
> 
> What, you thought he was really dead? Nah. I can't bring myself to permanently kill a character. I did my level best to seal up any plot holes in the road of my story, but if I missed one, leave a comment and I'll do my best to reply with an explanation.
> 
> Kisses! :*

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, let me know. Chapter 2 is in the works.


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